Re: Pungent Odor from HV Capacitors

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Original poster: "Crow Leader" <tesla-at-lists.symmetric-dot-net> 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 12:28 AM
Subject: Pungent Odor from HV Capacitors


 > Original poster: dhmccauley-at-spacecatlighting-dot-com
 >
 > I have a few high voltage capacitors that seem to be giving off a pungent,
 > unpleasant type solvent smell.  Among these are some smaller Maxwell metal
 > can type capacitors as well
 > as some grey GE type HV capacitors.   Also, both capacitors are
practically
 > new and never used, so they aren't like some old leaking capacitors.
 >
 > Anyone have any ideas of what this odor is???

Wow, could be lots of stuff. GE "Dielectrol (pick a number)" non-PCB stuff
smells musty and bad. The only caps I've ripped open that smell like a
solvent would be some early 80's stuff from FCI that was impregnated with I
believe to be carbon tetrachloride. The impregnant completely evaporated.
The MSDS for a General Atomics (formerly Maxwell) I have says the impregnant
for my cap is isopropyl bi-phenyl, which should be a clear yellow liquid
with a "straw" like odor. It's not likely your caps are mineral oil filled.
Even with additives, they'd be pretty smell free. I've been to several HV
cap factories. All they smell like is paper. I've smashed open silicone
impregnated caps, again, no smell, but it's obvious they are filled with
silicone from how fast the oily mess flows over the entire surface of the
cap. The stuff literally flows out of any cracks or leaks and makes an oily
mess anywhere it can flow (up down, no difference).

Give General Atomics a call with the partn number. Say you have a leak and
want the MSDS for the clean up.

KEN